Michele Lamberti Lowers National 50 Back Record At Italian Championships
The Italian Championships got off to a flying start in Riccione as Michele Lamberti took exclusive ownership of the national 50m backstroke record.
Lamberti returned to the pool after heading prelims for the first event of the programme where he stopped the clock at 24.38.
He cut 0.02 off the national standard of 24.40 set by Thomas Ceccon at the 2022 Europeans in Rome and which Lamberti subsequently matched at the 2024 Sette Colli. With that he booked his place on the Italian team for the European Championships in Paris.
“This Italian record has a different and very special flavour,” said Lamberti through the Italian federation, Federnuoto. “For a year now I have struggled a lot due to shoulder problems. I have to thank so “many people: first of all my parents, my team of people and all those who supported me. It is a result that really satisfies me a lot”.
Francesco Lazzari was the only other man to break 25secs in 24.98 with Lorenzo Mora third in 25.32.
Deplano & Quadarella Book Paris Tickets
Simona Quadarella: Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer / MAGICPBK
The five-day meet is the first opportunity for athletes to book their slot on the Italy team for the European Championships in Paris where the pool programme runs from 10-16 August.
Leonardo Deplano punched his ticket to the French capital with a 21.64 blast in the 50 free. The 2022 European silver medallist was the only man to break 22secs with Lorenzo Ballarati (22.05) and Giovanni Guati (22.14) following him home.
Simona Quadarella set two European records last year in Singapore. She went 15:31.79 en-route to 1500 free silver before going 8:12.81 when finishing fourth in the 800 to surpass long-standing marks set respectively by Becky Adlington at Beijing 2008 and Lotte Friis at the 2013 worlds in Barcelona.
She has a treasure trove of medals at Europeans winning the 400-800-1500 treble at Glasgow 2018 and Budapest 2020. Quadarella was denied the treble treble at Roma 2022 when Isabel Gose took the 400 title with the Italian leaving the Eternal City with two golds and a silver.
On Tuesday, she dominated the fastest heat of the 800 free to win in 8:21.01 and book her ticket for Paris and was followed home by Emma Vittoria Giannelli (8:32.95) and Noemi Cesarano (8:35.71).
She’s recently returned from a training stint in Australia with Dean Boxall at St Peter’s Western. Boxall is also coach to Lani Pallister, who went stroke for stroke with Katie Ledecky in the 800 in Singapore before the American took the title.
“I was very sorry to leave Australia,” she said. “On the one hand I was happy to return home, on the other hand I would have liked to stay a little longer. A wonderful experience: I was afraid of many things and instead everything went well.”
- Lisa Angiolini won the women’s 100m breaststroke in 1:06.33, 0.06 ahead of Benedetta Pilato who came from fourth at halfway to second in 1:06.39. Anita Bottazzo completed the medals in 1:06.89.
- The men’s 400 free saw the first three men home separated by 0.10. Davide Marchello got the touch in 3:47.76 followed by Marco De Tullio (3:47.81) and Alessandro Ragaini (3:47.86).
- Lorenzo Gargani took the men’s 50 fly in 23.31 with Giulio Meniconi edging Larbi Giacomini by 0.01 in 23.62 to 23.63
- Giada Alzetta won the women’s 400IM in 4:41.00 ahead of Anna Pirovano (4:42.14) and Francesca Fresia (4:43.22)